Kemal Basmaci – the protagonist of Nobel Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk’s The Museum of Innocence – had a particular weakness for Milan’s Bagatti Valsecchi Museum (Via Santo Spirito 10/Via Gesu 5), counting it amongst the most important museums of his life – the last few decades of which were devoted to the careful and meticulous exploration of ancient, little-known European museums.

So the story goes, on the exact same day that the love of his life turns 50, Basmaci dies aged 62 from a heart attack early one April morning, whilst sleeping in his room at Milan’s Grand Hotel, which overlooks the famous Via Manzoni, and where he often stayed whilst in the city visiting this favourite museum of his.

Not officially converted into a museum until the 20^th century, it was a house that had originally been remodelled by two brothers, Barons Fausto and Giuseppe Bagatti Valsecchi as an exact replica of a 15^th century Renaissance palace. Today, the museum’s collection is made up of everyday objects acquired by the two brothers over the years – beds, lamps, mirrors etc. Though household items, they’re not lacking in any artistic value – the museum boasts amongst its treasures antique flamenco tapestries, paintings by Giovanni and Gentile Bellini, an extensive collection of Venetian crystal and one of the most impressive libraries in the whole of Europe.  The museum offers a unique opportunity to view the furniture and decorative arts of the era in genuine, meticulously reproduced settings – however, it wasn’t for these reasons alone that Kemal Basmaci was apparently so bewitched by the place, finding himself drawn there time and again.

As told by Pamuk, the true fascination that Basmaci held for the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum was down to the fact that it so clearly matched his own sensibilities, echoing his obsession for the collection of objects, and going on inspire his own Museum of Innocence. His conviction was that museums contain an experience waiting to be discovered by the visitor, who must seek it out, and absorb it, learning that the heart and soul of a museum lies within the artefacts inside it.

Paul Oilzum

The Bagatti Valsecchi museum is a genuine time capsule – rent apartments in Milan and you can experience it for yourself.

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Translated by: Poppy
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California is the undisputed land of punk, and Pennywise is one band that has come to embody that Californian sound. The group was formed in ’88 in Hermosa Beach by Jim Lindberg, Fletcher Dragge, Byron McMack and Jason Thirsk, and took its name from the monster in Stephen King novel IT.

After Pennywise brought out their first recording in 1991, the group continued to release a new album every two years, through record label Epitaph Records, run by Brett Gurewitz – guitarist with Bad Religion, a legendary punk band who are still performing today.

Altogether, Pennywise have recorded nine studio albums, one live album, two EPs and a DVD. Most recently, in 2008, the band released Reason To Believe, available for free via Myspace and Textango. Soon after it was distributed by Myspace records in the USA and Epitaph in Europe, the album was put on sale in record stores around the world.

After more than two decades together, Pennywise still had all the original band members up until 1996, when bassist Jason Thirsk committed suicide. In 2001 Jim Lindberg announced that he would be leaving the band, and in 2010 Zoltán Téglás joined as vocalist.

The band who is one of the most important punk bands of our time is coming to Italy February 3 to perform at the Alcatraz.

More information: http://www.alcatrazmilano.com/

Alcatraz: Via Valtellina 21, Milán, Milán, Italia

MiLK

If you want to to see this show the best you can do is rent apartments in Milan to not let this opportunity pass you by.

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Translated by: Poppy
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